


Duck, Duck, Goose

by TomatoBookworm



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Alternate Universe - The Soulmate Goose of Enforcement, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff and Crack, Friends to Lovers, Goose-typical violence, Kisses, Polyamory, Polyamory only in the last chapter and can be skipped if it’s not your cup of tea
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-19
Updated: 2020-05-21
Packaged: 2020-09-07 15:58:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20312161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TomatoBookworm/pseuds/TomatoBookworm
Summary: Everyone knows a soulmate goose is a wise, and not benevolent, guide to finding true love. Whenever the goose shows up, just let it push you towards your soulmate, kiss and profess your feelings, and you will have your happily ever after.Jemma: Excuse me, but I already know who my soulmate is. Where were you in the past nine years?Daisy: What if I feed the goose?Hunter: Do you really want me to interrupt Bobbi’s beauty sleep with this true love’s kiss crap?Honk! Honk!





	1. Fitz and Jemma

**Author's Note:**

> *This work is posted on ArchiveOfOurOwn.org for free. I do not object to personal downloads via ArchiveOfOurOwn. If you are reading it through any other means, please know that you are doing so on an unauthorized site/app. Thank you. 
> 
> Each ship will have its own dedicated chapter, as indicated by chapter title. FitzSimmons shippers can stop reading after chapter 1. StaticQuake and Huntingbird shippers can choose to read only the interlude and their ship chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for AOS Smut Week. Monday: Kisses. Making out. Soulmate AU.

Jemma bit her lip to stop herself from grinning too widely. Fitz looked nervous enough as it was. He asked her out! She had wanted to run into his arms the moment he came back to the Playground, but then she had to deal with Coulson’s injury and the strange Monolith, and they were busy ever since. She was half afraid that Fitz might have decided he didn’t want her romantically after all. 

Fitz certainly looked relieved when she accepted his dinner proposal. Jemma watched him walk out of the room. He was so adorably awkward. She turned back towards the Monolith and yelped.

A large goose appeared out of nowhere and stared at her. 

“Oh! I didn’t expect to see you here.” A soulmate goose might have been useful at some point in the past nine years, to help her clarify her own feelings. She knew her heart now. “Fitz and I are already going to dinner.”

The goose did not go away. Instead, it began pecking at her ankle. 

“Ow! Stop it. That hurts!”

Honk!

The goose bit at her ankle insistently and pushed Jemma out of the room. She would have to continue her study of the Monolith tomorrow. Fortunately, Fitz was only a short distance ahead of her in the hallway.

“Fitz! Wait.”

Fitz turned around and stared. “Is that…?”

“A soulmate goose, yes,” Jemma said. She came to a stop in front of him. The goose hovered threateningly near her foot, but at least it wasn’t biting anymore. 

Fitz deflated. “I suppose dinner is off then.”

She hadn’t thought of that, but he made a good point. A soulmate goose would bring them too much attention in a restaurant, and she certainly didn’t want their first kiss to be a perfunctory peck in the hallway just to make the bird disappear. 

“Let’s go to your bunk,” Jemma said. “I don’t want to stand here where everyone can see.”

They glanced around the hallway. Hunter was walking towards the med bay and making all sorts of facial expressions at them. 

“Yeah, don’t want people to get the wrong idea,” Fitz agreed. 

They went to his room. The goose followed them the entire way. Once they sat down on Fitz’s couch, the goose stood by the closed door, letting out a single threateningly honk.

“Shush you, we are talking,” Jemma admonished the goose. 

“Not for long,” Fitz said. “You can go soon.”

Jemma turned to him in surprise. She had thought Fitz would want a full declaration of love before any kissing, and there was still so much they haven’t talked about. Perhaps he had the right idea. It had been nine years. They couldn’t waste any more time. 

She leaned in for their first kiss. Fitz jumped back. 

“Wha… what?”

“I thought you didn’t want to waste time talking,” Jemma said. Did she misread him somehow? “But I am happy to have a conversation first before we change the parameters of our relationship.”

“Your goose. It’s here.” Fitz gestured to the animal. “You are supposed to kiss your soulmate now. It won’t leave until you do.”

“I know that, Fitz.” Wait. Was this his way of saying he wasn’t ready for the commitment? “Do you want to date casually? Friends with benefits? After everything we’ve been through, I’d understand if you need some time to sort out your feelings.”

“No, Jemma.” Fitz’s expression was one of pure anguish. “I can’t, I can’t take a pity kiss. You don’t have to feel bad. We are cursed. The cosmos doesn’t want us to be together. I’ll still be your friend. Just, just give me some time and I will be happy for you and your soulmate. Really.”

Jemma stared at him. He still didn’t understand the depth of her feelings, did he?

“The cosmos doesn’t change anything. I was going to do this tonight anyway.” 

She kissed him. Fitz was stiff at first, but then he began to kiss her back. His lips were warm under hers. As she cupped his face with her hands, he became more daring, darting his tongue out to trace her mouth. 

Jemma moaned. Fitz parted from her long enough to ask: “Jemma?”

“I’m alright,” she reassured him before pulling him back towards her. “Love you.” The words came out as easily as their first discussion about dielectric polarization. She knew back then he would be in her life for a long time. Now they would be together, forever. 

“Me too.” Fitz’s arms circled around her as he initiated another kiss. Jemma moved her own hands down to untuck his shirt. She was working on his buttons when a loud noise interrupted them. 

They separated, panting. Jemma looked towards the empty space by the closed door. 

“The goose is gone,” Fitz said with a hint of wonder in his voice.

“I told you, the cosmos doesn’t change anything,” Jemma said. “But yes, of course you are my soulmate, if you really want the validation. Now what was that noise?”

“Ah, I think that might be my stomach.” Fitz looked at her sheepishly. “So, um, dinner?”

Jemma looked at Fitz’s half unbuttoned shirt, well-kissed lips, and flushed face. She didn’t want to stop, but she couldn’t deny him sustenance. 

“Where should we go?” Jemma asked. “I know you said someplace nice, and I would like a place nearby. Nothing fancy that would drag out the meal for hours.” 

Fitz’s cheeks were red. “Right. Um. I have a list of restaurants. Not that I was expecting you to say yes. Just thought I should do the research before asking you. There’s an Italian place that seems alright? We can look at other places too if you want.”

“Italian sounds wonderful,” Jemma said. She snuggled with Fitz as he pulled out his phone and opened the restaurant’s website. “Oh, this looks really nice. You will have to change.”

“I thought you like this shirt.”

“I do, but it’s wrinkled now.” Jemma ran a hand down his front. “Maybe I can help you pick out another one.”

Fitz swallowed as Jemma resumed her work on his buttons. “Jemma? What are you doing?”

“Helping you change.” She looked up from his chest. “Unless you want me to do more?”

“Maybe… maybe we can make a later reservation,” Fitz said. “So we’d have time. To change.”

“You are not hungry anymore?”

“My stomach can wait.”

Jemma took Fitz’s phone. Deliberately holding the screen in front of him, she made a reservation three hours away. 

“There. Now we have time.”


	2. Interlude

Hunter poured hot water over the teabag. He wanted beer, but he needed to keep his wits about him. No falling apart yet.

He turned around and almost spilled the tea on himself. A goose was in the lounge and staring at him. 

“Where did you come from, mate?” 

The bird stepped closer.

“Look, you can’t be here for me.” Hunter put his tea down on the counter and stood firm. “Bobbi is asleep in the med bay, and if I try to pull some Snow White crap with a true love’s kiss, she’s going to get up just so she can chop us both to pieces.”

The goose stopped its approach and tilted its head, considering.

“That’s right, anyone in their right mind knows better than to irritate Bobbi,” Hunter said. “If you make her leave her bed, then the doctors will come after us too. Have you met Simmons? Little scientist will make us wish we’re dead.”

Honk!

“Ah yes, of course you’ve met Simmons,” Hunter mused. “You were pushing her and Fitz together in the hallway earlier. What happened? Did the soulmate goose get sexiled?”

Honk! Honk! 

“Well, I guess I can keep you company while Fitz and Simmons sort themselves out. They do stock the kitchen with proper tea.”

Hunter settled down on the couch. The goose eyed his ankle. Hunter raised his mug. “Think about Bobbi, mate. Is it really worth the trouble?”

Daisy walked into the lounge with Mack and did a double take. “Why is there a duck on base? Wait, is that a soulmate goose?”

“Yeah,” Hunter said.

“Then why aren’t you on your way to Bobbi?” Daisy asked. “Because there’s no way I am kissing you.”

Mack chuckled. “No kisses from me either.”

“It’s not here for me,” Hunter said. “Or you two. I saw it push Fitz and Simmons together in the hallway earlier, and now they are nowhere to be seen.” 

“Isn’t the goose supposed to disappear once the soulmates kiss?” Daisy asked. 

“And acknowledge their feelings for each other,” Hunter said. “We’re talking about Fitz and Simmons here. It’s even odds on whether they are talking on and on without any kissing, or if they’ve tore off their clothes before saying the three little words first.”

“Good point,” Daisy said. “I can’t imagine anyone else dragging their feet after a soulmate goose shows up, but those two? I can see it.”

Mack chuckled. “I can think of some other people that would take their time to acknowledge their feelings, even with a goose in front of them.”

Hunter ignored him. “So what’s everyone doing for dinner? I’m taking the last pepperoni pizza in the freezer if no one’s going off base.”

“There's a box of Lucky Charms calling my name,” Daisy said. She opened the kitchen cabinets and made a face. “Damnit Fitz.” She grabbed a packet of instant oats instead.

“You two are children.” Mack shook his head. “I am going out for dinner. We can take a break after everything that went down the last few days. Hunter, I’ll bring back your usual?”

Hunter nodded in gratitude. Mack knew better than to ask him for an off-base trip while Bobbi was still in medical bay. 

“Daisy? You want to come along?” Mack asked. 

“Sure,” Daisy said. She opened the packet and tossed the oats to the goose. “We should make sure Fitz and Simmons are okay first. I can check the security cameras. Just to see if they haven’t left the base. Oh!”

One moment, the goose was eating oats off the floor. With a blink of the eye, the goose disappeared and reappeared with a laptop in its beak. 

“Uh, thanks?” 

Daisy took the laptop gingerly from the bird. It didn’t show any inclination to bite her ankles and went back to the oats. She logged into the security system. 

“FitzSimmons in the Monolith room. FitzSimmons in the hallway. FitzSimmons went into Fitz’s bunk. Looks like they are still there.” Daisy was smirking before her expression turned serious. “Guys. Take a look at this.”

Hunter and Mack watched the screen as Daisy went back to the Monolith room footage. Seconds after the goose pushed Simmons out of the door, the Monolith turned into a pool of black liquid and poured out of its case. As suddenly as it changed, the Monolith became solid again. 

“What the hell?” Hunter asked for everyone.

“I’ll lock down the Monolith room and alert Coulson,” Mack said. “Hunter, get Fitz and Simmons. This could be serious.”

“Inhumans believed the Monolith is a weapon,” Daisy said. “I will go talk to Lincoln. See if he knows anything.” She smiled at the goose absently. “Good bird.”

Honk!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The original plan is to post Daisy/Lincoln chapter on Tuesday for the prompts “foreplay, UST” and Hunter/Bobbi chapter on Thursday for the prompts “established relationship, couple spending time together.” Real life has interfered with writing time and I can’t promise to make those posting dates, but rest assured the story will be done!


	3. Daisy and Lincoln

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AoSFicNet2 smut week prompts, Tuesday: foreplay, unsolved sexual tension. A day late but hope you enjoy!

The hallway was empty when Daisy knocked on the door. Lincoln answered immediately. 

“Come in, you said there’s something important... is that a goose?”

Daisy’s mouth went dry at Lincoln’s flushed face. She didn’t consider how he might react to her showing up with a soulmate goose. He was a friend, one that she could climb like a tree, if she let herself imagine it. So many things have happened since they met though, she didn’t have time to think about a romantic relationship. 

“How do you know it’s not a duck?” Daisy wetted her lips. “I had to Google for the differences.”

His eyes went to her mouth for a moment before coming back and holding her gaze. “Skye.”

“It’s Daisy now.” She was glad for the diversion. “Daisy Johnson. And this is Goosey. She’s not mine. I’m bird-sitting for FitzSimmons.”

Something flashed behind Lincoln’s eyes. Daisy wasn’t sure if it was relief or disappointment or both. 

“How do you bird-sit someone else’s soulmate goose?” Lincoln asked. “Isn’t it supposed to follow its targets until they admit their feelings and kiss?”

“You only met Fitz and Simmons when she was patching you up,” Daisy said. “Trust me, they are the only two people in the world who can’t figure out how to get together, even with a soulmate goose standing right by them.”

Honk! Honk!

“See, Goosey agrees with me,” Daisy said. “Anyway, FitzSimmons are kissing now, but it will probably take them another year to admit they’re in love. In the meantime, Goosey’s following me around because I feed her.”

“I just finished making dinner,” Lincoln said. “Think she will like carrots?”

Honk!

“That’s a yes.” Daisy walked into the apartment. “You actually eat things other than pizza and popcorn?”

“I can’t live on junk food all the time.” Lincoln went into the kitchenette and came back with a plate of vegetables for Goosey. “Did you eat yet? There’s plenty of food.”

“Thanks, I was going to get dinner with Mack but our plans were interrupted.” Daisy looked at the counter. “That’s a lot for one person. Were you expecting someone? Girlfriend? Boyfriend?” 

“I always make extra and freeze, for the nights after a long shift.” Lincoln went back into the kitchenette. “I… wasn’t in a good place when I arrived at Afterlife. Took a while to get my life back on track. Haven’t dated anyone since then.”

“And now we’ve turned your life upside down again,” Daisy said. 

“Not your fault,” Lincoln said. “I’m not saying I enjoyed my encounters with S.H.I.E.L.D., but I would rather know the truth. And I am glad I met you.”

They sat down on the couch together with their dinners. Daisy brushed a stray hair off her forehead. Ugh, the bangs have to go at the next haircut. She shouldn’t feel self-conscious. They’ve eaten together before. On her bed. His arm wasn’t even pressed up against her. It must be all this talk of soulmates and dating. They need to change the topic. 

Lincoln didn’t receive the memo. “So, you and Mack? How long have you been dating?”

Daisy almost choked on her food. 

“Skye? I mean Daisy. Can you speak? Cough?”

“Yeah, I am okay. No need for the Heimlich maneuver.” Although it did feel nice to have his arms around her, the one time when she landed on top of him during the Hydra attack. His shirt hid some surprisingly well-defined muscles. 

“Sorry. Did I touch a sensitive spot?”

She wished he did. “No, Coulson just assigned Mack as my partner. We were going to eat dinner together as friends. Nothing more. I am not seeing anyone right now either.” Why the hell did she say the last part?

“Got it, dinner between friends.” Lincoln glanced down at his own plate for a second. “So, what’s the problem that brings you here?”

“Do I need a problem to see you?”

“You? No,” Lincoln said. “S.H.I.E.L.D.? Yes. You sounded worried on the phone, but I am assuming there’s no immediate disaster if you have time to bird-sit.” He tossed another carrot to Goosey.

“Actually, related,” Daisy said. “Simmons was studying the Monolith until Goosey pushed her to find Fitz. While the room was empty, security cameras showed the Monolith becoming liquid temporarily. Any ideas why?”

“I really don’t know anything.” Lincoln shook his head. “Gordon said it was a weapon, but I think he was only repeating Jiaying’s words. Have you searched her papers?”

Daisy looked away for a moment. “We are going through her records, yes.” 

“Not S.H.I.E.L.D.,” Lincoln said. “You.” 

“Why? Because she’s my mother?” 

“No,” Lincoln said. “Because you are Inhuman. Afterlife had traps designed to keep humans out. I wouldn’t be surprised if Jiaying put safeguards on her important documents as well.”

“Oh.”

“Daisy.” 

She looked into his eyes. Here was someone who had seen her bond with Jiaying, someone who understood that she lost more than a monster in her mother.

“I can’t know what you are going through right now,” Lincoln said. “But I am here if you want to talk.”

Daisy nodded. “I would like that.”

* * *

The doors burst open. Lincoln walked in. “Daisy!”

Daisy stood up from where she was tossing corn to Goosey. “What are you doing? I am in quarantine!”

“If you did go through a second Terrigenesis, you would know by now.” Lincoln reached out to touch her face. “There was no cocoon?”

“No.” Daisy shook her head. His hand felt warm against her cheek. “You were right about traps. I was barely lifting the pages when I saw the crystal, and I closed the book carefully. It didn’t break open and release the mist.”

“Then you’re fine. Touching the crystal itself is not a problem for Inhumans.” Lincoln’s voice rose. “Why did S.H.I.E.L.D. put you in quarantine?”

“We did not,” said Jemma, who had followed Lincoln into the room with a glare. “Daisy insisted on quarantining herself. I told her the test results were all normal, but she refused to come out until you could verify my findings.”

Lincoln turned and glared back at Jemma. “What tests?”

“Medical scans, blood samples, the standard checks I would run on a human exposed to a dangerous substance,” Jemma said. “Daisy is my friend. I am not going to experiment on her.”

Lincoln’s shoulders dropped. “Sorry. I was worried about Daisy, and S.H.I.E.L.D. isn’t exactly knowledgeable about Inhuman biology. You’re Simmons, right? The one who—”

“... made those terrible gauntlets, yes that’s me.”

“... has the soulmate goose that Daisy is watching.”

Jemma looked taken aback. Lincoln tilted his head towards Goosey. 

“Daisy won’t bird-sit for just anyone,” Lincoln said. “I know you are her friend.”

Jemma softened. “Then help us. We all want what is best for Daisy, and S.H.I.E.L.D. could use a medical doctor who’s knowledgeable about Inhumans.”

Lincoln turned back to Daisy. “Would you want me here?”

“It’s your decision, but yes, I’d love it if you want to consult for S.H.I.E.L.D.,” Daisy said. She moved closer and squeezed his hand. “Thanks for being concerned about me.”

“Of course I’m concerned. We are friends, right?”

“Yup, friends.” She leaned back slightly so she could tilt her head up and look into his eyes. She saw care, affection, and maybe something else. 

Lincoln’s free hand came up and brushed along her face. “There was a hair. You look great, by the way.”

“Thanks. It’s a new haircut.” She tried to think of something more clever to say, but the heat from his fingers was too distracting.

A loud cough made them both jump back. Daisy immediately missed holding Lincoln’s hand. 

Coulson stood outside the quarantine room window. “Thanks for coming on such short notice, Lincoln. If Daisy’s safe and healthy, let’s talk about getting you a lanyard.”

As soon as Coulson and Lincoln left, Jemma turned to Daisy. 

“I didn’t realize you and Lincoln are so close,” Jemma said. “After you put yourself in quarantine, I called him from S.H.I.E.L.D.’s secure line. His first reaction at seeing an unknown caller was saying your name.”

“I call him once in a while,” Daisy said. “It’s nice to talk to someone about being Inhuman. He doesn’t get to see much of his friends from Afterlife anymore, so he likes our chats too.”

“I doubt that’s the only reason why he likes your calls,” Jemma said. “Look at what Goosey is doing.”

Goosey was nudging her towards the hallway. Daisy chose to head towards the kitchen instead of the Director’s office. 

“Still hungry, Goosey? Let’s find you something better than corn. You can go to the lab later and push Jemma into Fitz’s lap.”

“I already sat in Fitz’s lap earlier, that’s why he’s in his bunk right now.”

“Eww! Too much information!”

“He’s changing his clothes because they got wrinkled,” Jemma said. “Not the other thing. We wouldn’t have sex during our lunch break while you were in quarantine, even if it was self-imposed and unnecessary.”

Daisy ignored the implication. She did not want to think about all the times her friends have disappeared together recently. “I am glad you are together now.”

“Me too.” Jemma said. “We’ve been together since the first night Goosey showed up, so why do you think Goosey is still around?”

Daisy paused before the lounge door. “She likes the food on base?”

“I couldn’t sort through my feelings for a long time too,” Jemma said gently. “But I’ve found myself much happier once I stopped running away from my emotions.”

She wasn’t. She had run away before, from the orphanage, foster care, school, all in search of her parents. She knew what running away felt like and this wasn’t it. This was more of a disbelief. The universe wasn’t supposed to show her someone kind, respectful, supportive, and hot as lightning, then tell her she could actually have him.

Honk!

“I think Goosey is done waiting,” Daisy said. She opened the lounge door and stopped. 

Lincoln smiled at her. “Coulson was just telling me about the employee benefits.” He raised his bottled water. “Apparently consultants get free kitchen access?” 

“And a temporary lanyard,” Coulson said. “You can upgrade it to a more permanent one if you decide you want in. Daisy earned her badge after several months as a consultant.”

Daisy took a sharp breath. She remembered her badge ceremony with fondness, but the memory was tainted with Garrett joking she earned it with two shots to the stomach. The shots Garrett ordered. Lincoln had already came to near death at Hydra’s hands and suffered a betrayal by people he trusted. Could she really drag him into S.H.I.E.L.D. with her?

“Let’s see how I fit here first,” Lincoln said. He glanced at her. “I just want to help Daisy.” 

He wasn’t afraid to show that he cared about her, and she couldn’t stand the thought of seeing Lincoln hurt again. He had become important to her without her even realizing it. Maybe Jemma was right about facing her feelings. 

Daisy walked to Lincoln and held out her hand. “Give me your phone.”

He did what she asked without question. She saved her personal mobile number on his cellphone. “Now you don’t have to wait for me to call.”

“In case of emergencies?” Lincoln asked.

“If I don’t need a problem to see you, then you don’t need an emergency to call me,” Daisy said. “We are… we care about each other, right?”

Lincoln took a step closer and Daisy almost closed her eyes in anticipation. He smiled. “Right.”

  


* * *

  


Daisy and Goosey shivered in the autumn winds. She had visited Lincoln many times in the past months, but the weather still caught her by surprise. Since Lincoln finished his residency and obtained his license, they’ve talked about him looking for a job closer to the Playground. It would be easier for him to help the new Inhumans that came out of their unexpected Terrigenesis from fish oil. Daisy wanted to see him more often too. Daily calls and texts couldn’t make up for his smile. 

“Sorry to keep you waiting.” Lincoln came over hurriedly from the hospital door. “Had to talk to a patient. Why didn’t you come inside? You’re shivering.” He gave Goosey a banana from his pocket and offered Daisy his jacket. 

“I wasn’t expecting it to be this cold.” Daisy stepped into the jacket and Lincoln’s arms circled around her. She leaned into his warmth before he could back away. 

Lincoln stood still for a moment, then he shifted until she was tucked snugly under one arm. “Let’s get you warmed up. There’s a diner nearby.”

He already provided plenty of body heat. “The diner that makes the best waffles in the state? Let’s try it.”

They’ve only take a few steps when a loud squeal interrupted them. 

“Oh my god, Lincoln! You have a soulmate goose!” Several people came up behind them, all dressed in hospital scrubs. They stared excitedly at Daisy. “Are you his soulmate? Did you just find him?”

“Guys, stop...”

“I’m Daisy. Lincoln and I have been friends for a while now, and we are about to have dinner.” Daisy put on her most adorable pout. “You don’t mind if I want to be alone with him, do you?”

“Nope. Enjoy yourselves!” Lincoln’s colleagues winked and wolf whistled, but they went away. 

Daisy started to walk, but Lincoln didn’t move. She tilted her head up and looked at him. “Lincoln?”

He was staring at her. “You let them think we are soulmates.”

“It was easier than explaining.” She dropped her eyes to his shoulder. “Unless you didn’t want them to think that? Because you might bring an actual girlfriend to work someday? You can tell them it was a mistake, that Goosey was really a duck.”

Honk! Honk!

“I think Goosey’s insulted.” Lincoln’s arm tightened around her. “There’s only one question about a duck. Are you going to duck away if I try to kiss you right now?”

Daisy’s head shot back up. “Really? Duck away? That’s the best line you can come up with?”

“Yeah. Does it work?”

“You are a dork.” Daisy tiptoed to reach him. “My dork now.”

“All yours.” 

The first touch of lips was gentle. Lincoln’s hand caressed her face like he couldn’t believe she was real. Daisy let her fingertips trace his jaw, feeling the stubble and then pulling him closer. Lincoln groaned when she kissed him deeper, and a tingle went straight from his tongue to hers. 

Daisy broke the kiss with a laugh. “Did you just shock me?”

“Sorry. Haven’t kissed anyone since I got my powers. Didn’t realize that could happen.”

“Why don’t we go back to your place.” Daisy ran her finger down to his Adam’s apple and felt him swallow. “And see what else feels electrifying?”

“Electrifying?” Lincoln smiled. “And you think ‘duck away’ was bad?”

“Be nice.” Daisy leaned in again. “Or I am going to call you my hot lighting rod in bed.”

“Nope. You can do a lot of things to me in bed or wherever you want, but that’s not one of them.” Lincoln touched his forehead to hers. “We can get takeout from the diner on the way. I do want to show you their waffles. Goosey will like their plain oatmeal too. Er, where is Goosey?”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goosey: All these years, no one has ever thanked me for getting them together with their soulmate. Can you blame me for biting and honking? I just to get my job done, you ungrateful humans... wait, this one is offering me food. Oh, and her soulmate cooks. Alright. I can be a little nicer to the ones that show me the proper respect. 
> 
> (Author’s note: yes, this does mean Hunter’s chapter is the one that earns the “goose-typical violence” tag. Sorry, but Goosey made the rules.)


	4. Hunter and Bobbi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For AoSFicNet’s August smut week Thursday prompt: established relationship. I am just, 4 months and some days late? :) 
> 
> Reading the Interlude first might be helpful to understand the soulmate goose AU better, but not required.

The first swig of beer hadn’t quite went down Hunter’s throat when Goosey honked. 

“What” —Hunter wiped the sputtered beer off his mouth with a sleeve— “the hell?”

Goosey stood by the coffee table, eyes focused on Hunter’s feet on the couch. 

Hunter debated for a moment whether to sit up straight. First, if he placed his feet on the ground, then he could run or jump away faster should the goose decided to attack. Second, propping his feet up actually gave the goose the perfect angle at which to bite his ankles. Third, there was no one else in the lounge to witness the exchange he was about to have with the goose anyway. 

The feet stayed up. He wasn’t going to let a goose chase him off the couch.

“You really should stop sneaking up on people like this, mate,” Hunter admonished. “I almost spilled my tea last time, and I could have wasted this perfectly good beer.” He waved the bottle. “So what’s up? You waiting here for Daisy to come in and make your dinner?”

Honk! Honk!

“Oh that’s right, Daisy’s off on her not-a-date dinner with Lincoln,” Hunter remembered. “Don’t know what Inhumans call it, but when I spend all my days off with someone and stay on the phone all the time, I call it dating. Think those two will ever figure it out?”

Honk!

Hunter did a double take. 

“Really? They figured it out? Good job mate.” Hunter took a congratulatory sip of his beer. “To be honest, I was starting to wonder about this whole soulmate goose thing.”

Goosey bit his ankle. 

“Ouch!” Hunter jumped up, spilling beer on his shirt in the process. “Now that is uncalled for!”

Honk! Honk!

“Fine, you got Fitz and Simmons together and that’s a feather in your cap,” Hunter said. “But you were taking forever with Daisy and Lincoln. Weren’t you supposed to chase the lovebirds until they admit they can’t live without each other? I haven’t seen one bite mark on either of them. Were you afraid of the good old Shake ‘n Bake?”

Goosey tried to bite him again, but Hunter was ready and leaped out of the way. 

“No need to attack a man for telling the truth,” Hunter said. “Huh, can they actually do it? Not that I am planning on serving you as the Sunday roast, but who would win in a fight, Inhumans or soulmate goose?”

Goosey’s response was another bite at the ankle. Hunter moved aside easily, but the goose didn’t give up. One peck followed another, and Hunter found himself backing out of the lounge. 

Fitz and Simmons were holding hands as they walked down the hallway. They both paused at the sight of Hunter and Goosey. 

“Er, Hunter? Are you alright?” Fitz asked. 

“He’s clearly on his way to Bobbi,” Jemma said with a smile. “Good job Goosey!”

“Excuse me, this goose isn’t making me do anything,” Hunter said. “Ouch! Stop biting!”

The stupid goose did not stop biting. 

“Goosey does have a sharp beak,” Jemma commented sagely. “Maybe she’s saving you from the Monolith or some other danger.”

“What, the danger of enjoying my beer and watching football?” Hunter asked. He jumped. “Bloody hell, that hurts!”

“Sorry Hunter,” Fitz said. “I think you better do as Goosey wants.” He looked besottedly at Simmons. “The cosmos knows what it wants.”

Traitor. Before Hunter could yell at Fitz for giving in to all this soulmate nonsense however, Goosey went on the attack again. Hunter had to take another step. 

One step after another. Before he realized it, Hunter was in front of Bobbi’s bunk. The bunk he’d been living in for the greater part of the past year. His hand stayed on the handle, and the goose actually stopped biting. Goosey stared at him, as if daring him to act. 

“Since you won’t let a man enjoy the telly in peace, I am going to bed,” Hunter said firmly. “I am here because my pyjamas are in there. Not because you chased me. Now stay out!”

Bobbi was reading in bed when Hunter walked through the door. She looked up from her science journal. 

“You are back early, I thought you wanted to watch the recap of that soccer game.” Her smile turned incredulous. “Hunter, is Goosey following you?”

Hunter didn’t bother turning around. He might have lost this round, but he wasn’t going to admit it to Goosey’s face. “Don’t try to distract me. You know better than to say soccer.”

Bobbi gave him a look. The look that used to drive him crazy when they were married because she wasn’t talking. Now he knew it was her way of hiding, to see if he was going to attack first, walk away, or stay. 

He sat down by her on the bed, sighed, and pulled out the ring. “I am not asking because the goose showed up.”

Bobbi put her neutral expression on, which was a tell in itself. She took the ring from his hand. “You are returning my property that I paid for?”

“With very little money, mind you. That ring was cheap ass,” Hunter said. “Call it what you want, but we’ve been shagging on the regular. You have your ring back. All we are missing is a piece of paper.”

“And your ring.”

“I know exactly where it is,” Hunter said. “I just don’t personally own the scuba diving equipment to retrieve it.” That got a smile out of her. “You know what I am saying, Bob.”

She looked over his shoulder before meeting his gaze. “You can’t even acknowledge the soulmate goose in the room. I don’t think it’s a sign that we should make the tragic mistake of getting married. Again.” 

“Yeah, I don’t want the stupid goose in the room,” Hunter said. “Because I don’t want that to be the only reason for you to say yes.” 

Bobbi looked at him like he was being an idiot. Fine. He would elaborate. 

“We’ve promised to love and to hold once before.” He pointed at the ring in her hand. “And we fell apart. If I turn around now, say hi to Goosey, and kiss you until she goes away, well, I am always going to wonder. Every time we fight. Are you staying because you want to? Or are you here because some goose said this is it, we are stuck with each other for the rest of our lives?”

“You are an idiot,” Bobbi said. 

“Hey!”

“You really think I would let a goose tell me what to do? That’s the only reason I would marry you?” Bobbi’s voice was low, but he could hear the danger. “Hunter, I already married you once without any outside influences. Yes, the first time didn’t work out. So I know exactly how it feels to walk away from you.” 

Bobbi took a deep breath and furrowed her brows. He didn’t know if her lung was bothering her or if she couldn’t believe what she was about to say. “I don’t want to do that again.”

“Don’t want to… get married? or walk away?”

Bobbi slid the ring on her finger. 

“Shouldn’t I be the one to do that?” Hunter held her hand. His heart was beating fast and he was trying not to appear needy, to ask for a million reassurances. “I do remember some things.”

Bobbi looked at their intertwined fingers before smiling back at him. “Not until you get your ring back.”

“Now wait a minute…”

Bobbi kissed him. Hunter kissed her back. Tongues started dancing and hands started wandering. Bobbi began to press him down into the bed and Hunter rolled them over gently. 

“I promise you can be on top for the rest of our lives if you want, but let’s watch that knee for now, alright?” He crawled down her body and kissed the part in question. “Can’t have you end up back in the med bay for celebratory engagement sex.”

Bobbi mock glared at him. “Who said anything about sex?”

“No objections to the engagement part?” He went back up and kissed her lips again. Okay, maybe he was a little needy. 

“Go get yourself a ring,” Bobbi said. She must have seen something in his expression because she pulled him into another searing kiss. “Lance, I am choosing to stay.”

“Even when I am being an idiot?”

“And when I do something stupid,” Bobbi said. “Let’s face it, we will both have our moments. This time, we know better than to give up.” She searched his face. “Right?”

“Won’t catch me making the same mistake twice.” Hunter was careful not put his weight on Bobbi’s knees or chest, but he held her as closely as he could. “To have and to hold. Bobbi Morse, I choose you. Today and every single day.”

“Mmm.” Bobbi snuggled into his arms. “Are you trying to stop yourself from making a Pokemon joke?”

“The fact that you thought of it suggests you are the real nerd in this relationship,” Hunter said. “Besides, I am never going to put the great Mockingbird inside a poke ball. Now the stupid goose, that I would like to try.”

“Careful, marriage vows don’t include protecting the spouse from goose bites.” Bobbi tilted her head. “Wait, where is Goosey?”

“Who cares?” Hunter kissed Bobbi again. “We are getting married.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- It’s finally done! Thank you all for being patient with me, and a big thank you to Team Space’s January WIP challenge for giving me the motivation to finish this!


	5. Melinda, Phil, and Andrew

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- I wasn’t originally planning on writing a Melinda chapter because I like both Andrew and Phil and I can’t pick between them, then I realized Goosey wouldn’t make Melinda pick either :)
> 
> \- This is really more of an epilogue than a proper chapter. Reading the Daisy/Lincoln chapter first is strongly recommended to understand why Andrew is not Lash here. 
> 
> \- For AoSFicNet2’s AoS season 7 countdown.  
Day 2 prompts: AU: Soulmates. Location: Playground.

The soulmate goose appeared out of thin air. Melinda was certain she had watched Goosey chase Hunter down the hallway earlier. She might have smiled to herself at Hunter’s curses. Now the goose was back in the lounge, staring straight at Melinda. 

Melinda looked back. She didn’t put enough force behind the glance to qualify it as a glare, nor did she move from her seat. Still, Goosey folded her wings. 

“Are you going to bother me now?” Melinda asked in a reasonable voice. 

Goosey’s feathers drew closer together. To her credit, the bird kept its head up and the beak high. Rather than attacking, Goosey pointe one wing towards the kitchen area. 

Working in tandem by the counter, Phil and Andrew were busy making dinner and joking around. They haven’t noticed the goose yet. The director of a secret spy agency and the psychologist who evaluated bewildered new Inhumans ought to pay better attention to their surroundings. Good thing she was here to keep an eye on them. 

Then again, the men weren’t on alert. Phil had been drawn tight ever since he became director, with the rise of Hydra, the compulsion to carve, and the loss of his hand. He needed to show a strong face in front of the agents he led. The only place Phil could let down his guard was in the presence of Andrew and Melinda. 

Likewise, Andrew was learning to admit his own fears and weaknesses. During their years together, Andrew was always a steady presence that helped Phil and Melinda recover from various field traumas. When Daisy had taken Jiaying’s ledger away from Andrew and found the Terrigen crystal inside, they were all shaken by the close call. Realizing how close he came to the end of his life, via either death or Terrigenesis, Andrew finally acknowledged that sometimes he needed emotional support too. It wasn’t a give and take, keeping scores on who’s doing what for whom, but they’ve grown closer as a result. Melinda and Andrew were rediscovering their love without falling back into old patterns, and Phil’s friendly presence helped soothe any lingering wounds still healing. 

In fact, nowadays the three of them spent more time together rather than any pair going off alone. Melinda returned her gaze to the soulmate goose. 

“I won’t choose between them.”

For the first time since she appeared in the lounge, Goosey gave a hint of impatience. The goose flapped her wings, a motion that vaguely reminded Melinda of a “don’t-be-silly” shrug. 

“Good, then we understand each other.”

Honk!

Phil and Andrew both looked over in surprise. 

“What’s Goosey doing here?”

“Reminding me that it’s time for all three of us to have a conversation.” Melinda stood up and walked towards her two loves. 


End file.
